Triple 9

For the high IQ society, see Triple Nine Society. For the television series, see Triple Nine (TV series). For other uses, see 999 (disambiguation).
Triple 9

Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Hillcoat
Produced by
Written by Matt Cook
Starring
Music by
Cinematography Nicolas Karakatsanis
Edited by Dylan Tichenor
Production
company
Distributed by Open Road Films
Release dates
  • February 16, 2016 (2016-02-16) (Los Angeles premiere)
  • February 26, 2016 (2016-02-26) (United States)
Running time
 115 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $20 million[3]
Box office $21.9 million[4]

Triple 9 is a 2016 American crime thriller drama film directed by John Hillcoat and written by Matt Cook. The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins, Jr., Norman Reedus, Teresa Palmer, Michael K. Williams, Gal Gadot, with Woody Harrelson, and Kate Winslet. The film was released on February 26, 2016 in the United States by Open Road Films.[5][6] In the United Kingdom the film was released by eOne.

Plot

In Atlanta, Georgia, criminals Michael Atwood (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Russell Welch (Norman Reedus), and his brother Gabe (Aaron Paul), along with two corrupt cops; Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie) and Franco Rodriguez (Clifton Collins, Jr.), rob a bank to retrieve a safe deposit box. The box contains information that could overturn the recent conviction of a Russian Mafia boss. When Michael brings the safe deposit box to the boss' wife, Irina (Kate Winslet), she withholds their reward money and gives Michael and his crew another mission, which involves breaking into a government office and stealing more data on her husband. To convince them to take the job, the mafia kills Russell, traumatizing Gabe.

The group decides to go forward with the job. As they think of ways they can pull it off, Marcus and Franco suggest a Triple 9 scenario, which involves an officer down call that sends all of the police to the location of the incident, with Marcus nominating his new partner, Chris Allen (Casey Affleck). Marcus tries to befriend Chris as they go out on calls together. During one call, Chris attempts to question a local gang member, Luis Pinto (Luis Da Silva), about a gang-related homicide, only for Luis to attack Chris before being detained for his actions. Chris' uncle, Jeffrey Allen (Woody Harrelson), is a Sgt. Detective in the police force working on the bank robbery case. Jeffrey gets a lead and discovers that Gabe is one of the people involved in the bank robbery. Gabe, still grieving over his brother, tries to stop the heist from happening by following Chris and Marcus around and telling Chris, but is stopped both by Michael and Jeffrey.

On the day of the heist, Marcus takes Chris to an abandoned housing project to meet an informant with information on their homicide case. As they walk around the building, Marcus slips away, and Luis comes in and tries to find Chris. Chris bumps into Gabe who tries to warn him that he is going to die. Luis then charges in and tries to shoots Chris but hits Gabe. As Luis runs away, Chris confronts a critically wounded Gabe. Before Gabe can say anything, Marcus comes in, triggering a shootout between the two. Gabe is killed and Marcus is severely wounded. This leads Chris to make the Triple 9 call. Thinking his nephew is the officer down, Jeffrey rushes to the scene. Meanwhile, Michael and Franco break into the government office and steal the information with little police disruption. Luis is shot dead as he attempts to flee from the housing project.

In the aftermath, Marcus survives but is in critical condition. Michael meets with Irina and her henchmen. She gives him the money but does not bring Michael's son as she had promised so earlier. After being beaten by her henchmen, Michael walks back to his car and triggers a bomb that was wired into his gift killing Irina and her henchmen. As he drives away, Michael is pulled over by Franco, who kills him and steals the money. After investigating Luis' belongings at the morgue, Chris finds a note in Luis' wallet, which contained the location where Marcus took him the day of the shooting. Chris later finds out that Marcus meets Luis the day of, letting him know where to kill Chris. Angered, Chris visits an unconscious Marcus to try and get answers, but is stopped by Franco, who invites Chris back to the station to get his account of the shooting. As the two head to the car, Chris receives a call from Jeffrey, who tells him that Franco has been cleaning house and that he might be next. As the two head out to their respective cars, Jeffrey is seen inside Franco's car, and they both shoot each other. Franco is killed, and Jeffrey is shot in the abdomen. As Chris makes a Triple 9 call, Jeffrey calmly pulls a joint and smokes it.

Cast

Production

Development

The project was first announced in August 2010 with director John Hillcoat circling Matt Cook's crime drama script Triple Nine, set to star Shia LaBeouf, with Steve Golin attached to produce.[7] Cook's script was included in Black List scripts of 2010.[8] Hillcoat confirmed his direction of the film later in May 2012; the casting of LaBeouf and Nick Cave scoring the music for the film were also confirmed.[9] Later, Cave left the project and Atticus Ross came on board to compose the score for the film.[1] In February 2014 Open Road Films acquired the US distribution rights to the film[10] and Worldview Entertainment came on board to finance the film after the exit of Panorama Media.[11]

Casting

The film went through many casting changes. Shia LaBeouf was initially attached to star in the film but later left the project and was replaced by Charlie Hunnam.[12] In December 2013, Hunnam also left the project and was replaced by Casey Affleck.[13] In August 2013, Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz were in talks to join the cast[14] but later dropped out and instead Kate Winslet and Woody Harrelson came on board.[15][16] Casting complete in March 2014, as Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmer and Clifton Collins, Jr. rounded out the cast.[17][18]

Hillcoat talking about filming schedule said that, "It’s a challenge, arranging everyone’s schedules and trying to accomplish something with eight main characters. I’ve never worked on something quite like this."[19]

Filming

Principal photography began on May 28, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia.[20][21] On June 5, filming took place the at St. Regis in Buckhead, Atlanta, with Winslet.[22] Filming took place at Centennial Olympic Park Drive, Atlanta from June 23 to June 25, 2014.[23] In early July, filming moved to Decatur, scenes were shot from July 9–12, 2014 in the 200 block of Kings Highway. Additionally stretches of Ansley Street and Kings Highway were also be used as establishing shots.[24] Scenes were also shot on White Street, South East of Westview Cemetery, Atlanta.[25] On July 17, 2014, a scene was shot in Atlanta with real paramedics, SWAT Officers and Police Officers along with the principal cast.[26] Due to heavy rain, some scenes remained unfinished while shooting at Centennial Olympic Park, where filming again took place from August 5 to 6, 2014.[27] After that, filming was wrapped.[28]

Music

Atticus Ross composed the music for the film along with his wife Claudia Sarne, brother Leopold Ross and Bobby Krlic.[1] Talking about the music of the film, Ross said that "he [Hillcoat] had a particular vision for the music on this movie which was very raw sounding electronics; with bizarrely a saxophone in there. With this film, it was difficult because we were trying to get the story right and one would write the music, but then the scenes would change around and it all becomes redundant. So it was quite a bit of work."[29] A foreboding version of This Little Piggy was featured in the trailer of the film.[30]

Release

On August 27, 2014, Open Road set the film for a nationwide release on September 11, 2015.[31] But on June 10, 2015 it was announced the release date of the film has moved from September 11, 2015 to March 4, 2016.[32] In October 2015, the release date was moved up to February 26, 2016.[5]

Promotion

The first trailer for the film was released on October 5, 2015.[33]

Reception

Box office

As of April 12, 2016, Triple 9 has grossed $12.6 million in North America and $7.5 million in other territories for a total gross of $20.1 million, against a budget of $20 million.[4]

In the United States and Canada, pre-release tracking suggested the film would gross $7–9 million from 2,205 theaters in its opening weekend, trailing fellow newcomer Gods of Egypt ($12–15 million projection) but similar to Eddie the Eagle.[3] The film made $2.1 million on its first day and $6.1 million in its opening weekend, finishing 6th at the box office.[34]

Critical response

Triple 9 has received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 54%, based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The site's consensus reads, "Triple 9's pulpy potboiler thrills don't quite live up to the ferocious talents of its cast, but the film's efficient, solidly crafted genre fun is often enough to balance its troublesome flaws."[35] Metacritic gives the film a score of 52 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[36] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[34]

Tom Huddleston of Time Out gave Triple 9 four out of five stars, positively comparing the film to Michael Mann's Heat. Huddleston praised the ensemble cast and concluded that the film is "carried off with brashness and momentum by a director who genuinely seems to be having a blast."[37] Variety's Justin Chang was less receptive towards the film's narrative, but applauded its action sequences and wrote that the "result is a film that conveys the eerie sense of lying in wait for all its characters, and the paranoia is infectious, with at least two scenes certain to have viewers checking their car backseats upon exiting the theater.[38]

In a mixed review, Empire's Ian Freer gave Triple 9 three out of five stars. Freer praised the cast's performance, but criticized the film's screenplay and second half, surmising that "the interesting world of the film doesn't get the story it deserves."[39] While praising Anthony Mackie's performance and Nicholas Karakatsanis' cinematography, Indiewire's Oliver Lyttelton criticized the film's narrative structure as unsatisfying, suggesting that "perhaps there's a longer cut out there... perhaps that cut led to a film that felt like it was actually about something."[40] Alonso Duralde of TheWrap also panned Triple 9, in particular disapproving of the film's screenplay and third act. Duralde writes: "...[Triple 9] somehow managed to collect an impressively A-list cast on its way toward becoming a cop movie that's not just dumb, it's disastrous."[41]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Atticus Ross to Score John Hillcoat’s ‘Triple Nine’". FilmMusicReporter. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "TRIPLE 9 (15)". British Board of Film Classification. January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "'Deadpool’ Will Cuss Out ‘Gods Of Egypt’, ‘Eddie The Eagle’ & ‘Triple 9’ – Box Office Preview". deadline.com.
  4. 1 2 "Triple 9 (2016)". The Numbers. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "First Red Band Trailer For ‘Triple 9′ With Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson & More". Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "‘Triple 9’ Trailer: Affleck, Harrelson, Winslet Lead Star-Studded Thriller". Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  7. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (12 August 2010). "Shia LaBeouf, John Hillcoat Circling ‘Triple Nine’". thewrap.com. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (5 February 2014). "Annapurna Pictures To Finance John Hillcoat's Cop Drama 'Triple Nine'; Could It Be His Next Film?". Indiewire. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Davis, Edward (6 February 2012). "John Hillcoat Confirms 'Triple Nine' Is Next; Shia LaBeouf Attached, Nick Cave Likely Writing Score". indiewire.com. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (5 February 2014). "Open Road Acquires John Hillcoat's 'Triple Nine' for U.S.". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  11. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (5 February 2014). "Worldview to Finance John Hillcoat’s ‘Triple Nine’ After Megan Ellison’s Panorama Exits". thewrap.com. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Ready to Commit a ‘Triple Nine’ for John Hillcoat". variety.com. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  13. ↑ "Charlie Hunnam Out, Casey Affleck In For 'Triple Nine'; Chiwetel Ejiofor & Michael B. Jordan Also Joint". blogs.indiewire.com. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz Eyeing Crime Film Triple Nine". vulture.com. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Kate Winslet Joins John Hillcoat’s ‘Triple Nine’ [Updated With More Casting]". vulture.com. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul, Michael B. Jordan And More Join John Hillcoat's Heist Thriller Triple Nine". cinemablend.com. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  17. ↑ "Woody Harrelson Joins The Amazing Ensemble In John Hillcoat's 'Triple Nine'". cinemablend.com. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  18. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (12 June 2014). "Clifton Collins Jr. Joins ‘Triple Nine’". deadline.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "What Do Kate Winslet, the New Wonder Woman, and a Breaking Bad Star Have in Common?". Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "Featured roles for Aaron Paul's Triple Nine". extrasline.com. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  21. ↑ "Casting Call 5/28 – 6/4 What’s Filming In Atlanta, And Who They’re Looking For". cbslocal.com. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  22. ↑ "UPDATE: We’ve found the first set locations for ‘Triple Nine’ in Atlanta". 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  23. ↑ "‘Triple Nine’ filming locations in Atlanta for June 23 – 25". 13 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  24. ↑ "Star-Studded Movie "Triple Nine" Filming Overnight on Kings Highway This Week". 10 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "ATLwood: 'MEAN, BULLY TYPES'". clatl.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  26. ↑ ""Triple Nine" seeks SWAT, paramedic extras". 14 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "Triple Nine Filming Notice- Street Closure Aug 5th". 24 July 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Jacki Weaver on board for Drake Doremus’s thriller Equals". Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "Atticus Ross Reveals Details Of John Hillcoat's Triple 9". Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Triple 9 Trailer: Winslet, Woody, and Chiwetel Play Cops and Robbers". Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  31. ↑ "John Hillcoat’s ‘Triple Nine’ Gets September 2015 Release Date". deadline.com. August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  32. ↑ McNary, Dave (June 10, 2015). "Michael Keaton-Mark Ruffalo Drama ‘Spotlight’ Set for Nov. 6". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Watch Woody Harrelson and Kate Winslet in Gangster-Cop Action Thriller ‘Triple 9’ (NSFW Trailer)". Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  34. 1 2 "Powerless to 'Deadpool', 'Gods of Egypt' Is First 2016 Big-Budget Bomb". deadline.com.
  35. ↑ "Triple 9 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Triple 9 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  37. ↑ Tom Huddleston (February 15, 2016). "Triple 9 (2016), directed by John Hillcoat Film Review". Time Out. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  38. ↑ Justin Chang (February 17, 2016). "Film Review: ‘Triple 9’". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  39. ↑ Ian Freer (February 17, 2016). "Triple 9 Review". Empire. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  40. ↑ Oliver Lyttelton (February 17, 2016). "Review: John Hillcoat’s ‘Triple 9’ Starring Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie & Kate Winslet". Indiewire. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  41. ↑ Alonso Duralde (February 17, 2016). "‘Triple 9’ Review: Kate Winslet and Company Held Hostage by Idiotic Good-Cop-Bad-Cop Tale". TheWrap. Retrieved February 17, 2016.

External links

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